Note from Ermes: If you don’t know Flat Stanley, you can find his presentation to the community in this post: Flat Stanley Went to Italy - the prologue
Hello, my name is Stanley, “Flat” Stanley.
I was drawn two months ago in California, then my classmates then put me in an envelope, and I reached Ermes in Italy.
What is biodiversity?
This morning, while Ermes was having breakfast, I heard that last Monday, May 22nd, was International Biodiversity Day, so I asked him: “what is biodiversity?”
“Biodiversity is the variety of all living species on our planet”, Ermes replies.
I’m not sure I understand, so I tell him. “Okay, I’ll show you,” he replies, and I see him pack his backpack.
“Where are we going”, I ask? “Let’s go see the biodiversity”, is his answer. In half an hour we are in the car, and we are traveling towards the mountains. An hour later we arrived. We start walking, and in 20 minutes we are in front of a sign, where it says “path of biodiversity”
Maybe I understood: there are places in the world where there is biodiversity, and Ermes took me to one of these special places. “No”, he says, “biodiversity is everywhere. I brought you here because you can see it very well here. So today let’s go see the flowers”
We start walking, and all around us there are flowers of various colors, but mostly blue and yellow. He asks me to take a good look, and I realize that they are all of different shapes. There are many, in a few meters we see many different flowers.
At that point I understand: “Biodiversity is the variety of all living species on our planet”. If in a few meters we have seen so many, who knows how many more we will see walking more, or exploring other places in the world.
And surely the same will be true for other living species: mammals, birds, fish, insects. Lots of different species. I’m happy, but then another question arises inside me: I really like this biodiversity, but … What is biodiversity for?
What is biodiversity for?
Ermes points a finger and asks me: “What do you see in those two flowers?”.
They look exactly the same to me: “same height, same shape, the plant has the same leaves”, I say. He insists, and asks: “Don’t you see any difference?”. Well, one is white and the other is pink, but what difference does it make?
Then I stop, and I understand: they are of a different color! They are almost the same but not quite the same. I tell Ermes and he replies that yes, now I’m starting to really understand biodiversity: life’s ability to experiment, adapt and learn. This is the secret: experiment, adapt and CHANGE A LITTLE.
The ability to adapt to the environment, to live from the Poles to the Equator, to live in Rainforest and deserts.
The ability to mix genes, to evolve and become stronger.
Biodiversity is the result of evolution. Each species has evolved and changed, and each species helps the others to change. Each species has a purpose and a role.
Right now I understand that my brothers and I, the many Flat Stanley who are exploring the world like me, are also part of biodiversity. They experiment, learn different things, and change.
How do plants exchange experiences
The same thing happens in this Community, where people exchange experiences, learn from others, and change.
“But plants” I ask Ermes, “how do plants exchange experiences? In short, they have roots, they don’t move” .
He smiles, and replies: “the answer is right next to you”
Share your Biodiversity with me
At this point it makes me think that, if in a few hundred meters I have been able to see so much biodiversity, who knows how much more there is in the rest of the world.
Do you want to show it to me?
Ermes told me that one day his friend @KarenVChin took him to visitThe Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery, and he promised me that soon he will take me to visit the Giardino Botanico Alpino - A Botanical Garden in the Alps
Where do you want to bring me?
together.
). To me the three places seem to be the same one, because the (beautiful) photos in there are almost the same
. Maybe you know some more brother of mine
